Posthole digger



July 22, 1941. g .1. PIPER I P03180133 BIGGER Filed Jun; 10 1940 ssnags-sheet 1 I lnventdf F065,? cfa/ve P/PER V I Aflomey Filed June10.,, 194o 3 Shqts-Sheet 2 Q r W Q t) .33 I

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Patented July 22, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE POSTHOLE manna RogerJune Piper, Princeton, Ill. Application June 10, 1940, Serial No.339,780

,1 Claim.

My invention relates to improvements in posthole diggers, and theprincipal object in view is to provide efficient digger apparatus of theboring .type for attachment to a standard tractor and operation by thepower take-off thereof and which when not in use, may be adjusted intoan out of the way position.

To the accomplishment of the above, and subordinate objects presentlyappearing, a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustratedin the accompanying drawings, set forth in detail in the succeedingdescription; and defined in the claim appended hereto.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in .top plan of the preferred embodiment of myinvention,

Figure 2 is a'fragmentary view in side elevation,

Figure 3 is a view in front elevation,

Figure 4 is a detail view in vertical section taken on the line 44 ofFigure 2,

Figure 5 is a detail view in transverse section taken on the line 5-5 ofFigure 2,

Figure 6 is a detail view partly in vertical section and partly in sideelevation taken on the line 66 of Figure 3.

Referring to the drawings by numerals, I have shown my invention thereinas forming part of v the equipment of a standard, well-known, type oftractor conventionally illustrated, l designating the chassis, 2 therear driving wheels, 3 the front steering wheels, and 4 the powertake-0E shaft adapted to be driven by the power plant representeddiagrammatically and designated by numeral 5.

According to my invention, a frame structure side bars I a transversedriven shaft I6 is journalled in suitable bearings l1, bolted, as at IE,to the bars I, said shaft having a pulley l9 fast on one end thereof towhich a pulley 20 fast on the power take-off shaft 4 is operativelyconnected by a belt 2|. The other end of the shaft l6 projects out ofits bearing I'I beyond the extension of platform It and is equipped witha beveled extension-25. As'will be understood, the casing 23 andextension 25 constitute a unitary housing arranged to swing foreand aftof the tractor on the shaft l6.

An upright digger shaft 21, transversely square for a purpose presentlyseen, is journalled 5 is erected on the front of the tractor comprisinga pair of base side bars I bolted, as at 8, to

the opposite sides of the chassis 2 to extend forwardly therefromhorizontally. Uprights 9 suitably secured to said bars I support anoperator's platform lfl'above said bars. The uprights 9 are suitablybraced by diagonal crossed strut bars I l. The platform l0 extendslaterally at preferably the left hand side of the frame structure 6beyond the left hand side bar I for a purpose presently seen. Suitableuprights in the bearings 26, 26 for rotary and endwise slidingmovement-therein, said shaft depending from said casing 23 and extendingthrough the same partway into the extension 25.

A rotary digger 28 of the convolute, or auger, type is sleeved 'onto thedepending lower end of the digger shaft 21 and secured thereto by a setscrew 29, said digger having a tubular core 30 with a transverselysquare bore therein 3| into which the digger shaft 21 fits.

The digger shaft 21 is designed to be driven by beveled gear 22 and alarger beveled gear 3| in the bottom of the casing 23 splined on saidshaft by means of a square bore, not shown, therein through which saidshaft is extended. The up-' per end of the digger shaft 21 is connectedby a swivel bearing 32 to the lower end of a rack bar 33 endwiseadjustable, slidably, in the upper end of the extension 25 to raise andlower said shaft and hence the digger 28. For adjusting therack bar 33,a hand wheel 34 is provided at the same side of the extension as theseat It and which is fast on a horizontal stub shaft 35 journalled inand extending through a gear box 36 provided on the extension 25, saidshaft 35 having a gear pinion 3'! thereon in said box and meshing withthe teeth of the rack bar.

.Means are provided for locking the digger shaft 21 in a raised positionin which the digger 28 is elevated above the ground, said meanscomprising a vertical rock shaft 38 journalled in a sleeve 39 secured inupright position to the extension 25 and casing 23 by a pair of upperand lower brackets 40, M on said extension and casing 23, respectively,said shaft having an operating.

crank 42 on the upper endthereof for rocking the same'in oppositedirections. Rocking of the shaft 29 in opposite directions swings acrank arm 43 fast on the lower end thereof into and out of supportingrelation to a set collar 32 fast on the digger shaft 21 intermediate thecasing 23 and digger 28. In the supporting relation of said crank arm43, the digger shaft 2'! is locked elevated, as .will be clear; toprevent the digger from gravitating to the groundY'A stop 4% is providedon the casing 23 for engagement by a crank arm 43 to establish thelocking position of the latter.

A slotted bar 45 is pivoted, as at 46, to the left hand side of thechassis l to incline across the extension 25 which is provided with aset screw 41 therein extending through the slot in the bar for clampingagainst the latter, whereby the casing 23 and extension 25 may be swungon the shaft it into different set positions to correspondingly adjustthe digger 28 and other parts carried thereby into diflerent angularpositions for digging at an angle to the vertical, or carrying with thedigger 28 locked in raised position.

The manner in which the described posthole digger is operated will bereadily understood from the foregoing.

With the digger shaft 21 unlocked and the power take-01f shaft 4operative, said shaft is driven in a manner which will now be clear torotate the digger 28. By manipulation of the hand wheel 34, the rack bar33 may be adjusted downwardly to feed the digger shaft correspondinglyin digging, or, oppositely adjusted to withdraw the digger 28 out of theground. The angle at which the digger 28 operates may be varied byswinging the casing 23 and extension 25 about the shaft I6,together withthe digger shaft 21 and digger 28, into different set positions. Whennot in use, the digger shaft 21 and digger 28 may be locked in raised,disabled position in the manner and by the means previously described.

The foregoing will, it is believed, suffice to im-.

part a clear understanding of my invention without further explanation.

Manifestly the invention, as described, is susceptible of modificationwithout departing from the inventive concept, and right is hereinreserved to such modifications as fall within the scope of the subjoinedclaim.

tilting movement into different angular positions, means operativelyconnecting said motor to said shaft to rotate the same during endwisemovement. thereof, means to" move said shaft endwise into different setpositions at will, means to lock said shaft in different angularpositions, a convolute digger element fast on the lower end of saidshaft and means to lock said shaft and digger against endwise movementin a downward direction.

'- ROGER JUNE PIPER.

